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()QW. SMITH. GRAVESTONE OR MONUMENT.

No. 518,552. Patented Apr. 17,1894.-

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORSON W. SMITH, OF OHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AUGUSTG. CHALOUPKA, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAVE-STONE OR MONUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,552, dated April17, 1894.

Application filed April 29, 1893. i'sen'al No. 4'72| NO 111041 To aZ Zwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORSON W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlevoix, in the county of Oharlevoix and State of 5Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrave-Stones or Monuments; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enableothers skilled I in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates, in general, to monuments or grave stones and moreparticularly refers to an improved manner of affixing in I reliefsuitable letters, characters, ordesigns to the stone constituting themonument.

The chief object of my invention is to provide novel means for attachingthe letters or other characters used in the name or epitaph of thedeceased in an inexpensive, permanent, ornamental, and indestructiblemanner to the face of the stone, whereby the same will not be marred,obliterated, detached, or otherwise deteriorated by exposure to theweather or other exterior influences. I

My invention has for its further object to ornament and protect thestone by suitable designs or decorations attached to the stone insubstantially the same manner. For the attainment of these objects, andfor other purposes hereinafter enumerated, my invention comprises, inbrief, certain features of construction, and arrangement and combinationof parts, all of which are more fully described hereinafter.

The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification :--Figure 1 is a perspective view of a monument having myinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a corresponding view of the stonewith the letters and designs detached therefrom, show ing the recessesor indentures made for receiving the projections on the back of y theletters or designs. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the linemm, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 Wis a transverse sectional view on theline y--y,Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating in detail the construction of thevarious letters and designs embodied in my invention.

In all the views of the drawings, like letters of reference mark thesame or corresponding parts.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably 5 5 form the several lettersor designs designed for attachment to the stone, A, of aluminum,aluminum bronze, or other non-oxidizable metal, so that they will notbecome rusted or marred by exposure toweather. I have found byexperience, that aluminum is the best adapted metal for this purpose,since it is light, easily formed into the desired shapes, not brittle,and does not readily disintegrate or rust; however, it will beunderstood that I can use any other substance susceptible of like useand having the necessary characteristics or qualities. Each letter, B,is shown as made in one piece of aluminum with a rearwardly projectingbar or stud, 0, formed integral with the body of the letter and servingas the means of securing the letter to the face of the stone. Each baror stud, G, is of the requisite size for strength and rigidity, andextends back far enough into the stone to permanently hold and supportthe body of the letter, the back of which is a plane surface fitting upsnugly against the plane surface of the stone. If preferred, the stud,C, may be a separate piece fronlbthe body of the So letter, and attachedto the latter in any suitable manner, as shown in one instance in Fig.5.

In order to affix the letters to the stone, the latter is first madeaccording to some desired or approved process out of some compositionmolded into the shape or design required. Then, before the green orplastic mass sets or hardens, the several letters, B, are placed inposition on the stone, with their studs, 0, 0 each pressed down into theplastic mass until the back of the particular letter is up against theplane surface of the stone. The designs are then applied in a similarmanner, and the stone and its attached parts allowed to set and hardenuntil ready for use. In Fig. 2 can be seen the recesses, E, in thestone, made by the several studs, 0, of the letters and designs, priorto the insertion of the studs, 0, in place.

In Fig. 1, I have shown in addition to the letters, B, the corners ofthe stone provided with guard-plates, E, made in some ornamental shape,andthere applied in order to protect the corners of the stonefrom beingchipped or broken by carelessness or by coming in contact with otherhard substances. Each plate, E, is provided with three studs, 0, on itsinner'side, as shown in Fig. 5. I have also shown in Fig. 1, the frontor face of the monument provided with raised ornamental panels, F, ofmarble having studs, 0, on their inner sides and designed to be attachedin substantially the same manner as above described with reference tothe letters, B.

It will be seen that. all the letters and designs affixed to the stone,A, are raised or in relief so as to be clearly defined and apparent.

If preferred, the face of the letters, or designs, or both, may bepainted black or other color to. suit the taste, ormay be left the nat-vural color of the aluminum. I

The letters B may befiformed with-a beveled surrounding edge, as shownat b, and

eitherthe face or the'side edge of the letters: may be colored black orin anyother desired manner.

It will be understoodthatthestone or monu ment A to which the letters ordesignsB are to be applied as herein described and thus trated, may beformed of concrete. or Port- I land cement and that the face of thestone proper maybe embellished with any'suitable. design by having theface of the mold cut or engraved, so that when the stone is cast theform is turned face up and the face bored or engraved part of the moldtaken off, when 5 the face of the stone may be laid out in 1 straight orsemi-circular lines or in any other suitable manner. The stone 01,"monument may be molded to form a depressed face surrounded by aprojecting rim or flange, as shown at a, so that the outer plane of ther letter or design B is within or corresponds to the plane or projectionof the rim or flange a and the latter thus serves as a guard orprotection for the former. The bar or stud G is 5 preferably arrangedlongitudinally so that 1t. extends the entire length of the letter, andmay be narrow or thin and sharp, as illustrated at sin one of the formsshown in Fig. 5.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent,isv I v A grave-stone or monument made ofacom-' position of matterand having suitable char-M acters or designsaffixed thereto by eans of 1 v a stud on the back of thechar'acter ordesign, said stud extending longitudinally along the v backof thecharacter or design and tapering to asharp edge so asto bemore, readilypressed;

into the substance of which the stone is made 6c when the latter is in aplastic state,substantially as set forth. c

In testimony whereof Iafix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORSON W. SMITH. I Witnesses:

T. F. WASHBURNE, E. H. GREEN.

